Netherlands stocks finished in negative territory on Monday, with the AEX index slipping 0.82% at the close in Amsterdam. Market pressure was led by weakness in the Technology, Oil & Gas and Basic Materials sectors, which pushed the benchmark lower.
Winners and losers
The session produced a small group of sizeable winners. Wolters Kluwer (AS:WLSNc) outperformed, rising 7.85% - an increase of 4.90 points - to finish at 67.36. Relx PLC (AS:REL) gained 4.79%, or 1.44 points, closing at 31.52, and payments processor Adyen NV (AS:ADYEN) advanced 4.34%, up 34.80 points to 835.80 in late trade.
On the downside, semiconductor-related names and other technology stocks were among the heaviest decliners. BE Semiconductor Industries NV (AS:BESI) slid 9.65%, down 21.90 points to 205.10 at the close. ASML Holding NV (AS:ASML) fell 8.42% - a drop of 131.40 points - to 1,429.80, and ASM International NV (AS:ASMI) ended the day 7.10% lower, off 61.00 points to 798.40.
Market breadth and volatility
On the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, advancing issues narrowly outnumbered decliners, with 50 stocks up and 46 down; 10 securities finished unchanged. The AEX Volatility measure, which reflects implied volatility in AEX options, was unchanged at 21.09.
Commodities and FX
Energy prices moved notably lower on the day. Crude oil for September delivery fell 6.71%, a decline of $5.99, to settle at $83.32 per barrel. Brent crude for October delivery dropped 5.60%, or $5.13, to $86.55 per barrel.
In metals, the August Gold Futures contract moved higher, gaining 0.29% - $12.00 - to trade at $4,082.80 per troy ounce.
Major FX pairs were largely unchanged in the session. EUR/USD was effectively flat, changing by 0.07% to 1.14, and EUR/GBP registered a 0.23% move to 0.86. The US Dollar Index Futures was quoted unchanged at 101.31.
Session takeaway
The market closed with pronounced moves among individual large-cap names despite relatively balanced breadth. Technology and semiconductor stocks led the losses, while select information services and payment companies recorded strong gains. Commodity markets showed divergent moves, with oil prices lower and gold higher, and major FX rates remaining broadly stable.